Combined electronic water and oil pump

ABSTRACT

A combination pump comprising: a water pump having: a rotor including a stationary shaft, a stator, and an. isolation jacket, an oil pump having: a rotor that surrounds the isolation jacket of the water pump, an eccentric shaft attached to the rotor, a rotary pump in communication with the eccentric shall so that as the eccentric rotates the rotary pump is rotated and pumps a fluid; wherein the water pump rotor and the oil pump rotor are driven by a common magnet.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/672,187, filed Jul. 16, 2012.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to an oil pump and a water pump for use with an engine such as an automotive vehicle. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a combination oil pump and water pump in a single unit.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In general, the use of a water pump and an oil pump are well known in vehicles. It is generally understood to use a water pump to circulate water through a cooling system in the vehicle. It is also generally well known to use an oil pump to circulate oil through the transmission and engine. Traditionally, these systems have always been kept separate.

Despite many varied attempts, the traditional water pump and oil pump applications have significant drawbacks. There is a need to improve on the traditional water pumping oil pump devices and systems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one exemplary embodiment, there is disclosed a combination pump having a water pump side having an inlet and an outlet. A water pump chamber is contained within the water pump side and connects between the inlet and outlet of the water pump side. The water pump chamber has within it a pump element connected to a rotor for pumping fluid through the water pump chamber between the inlet and the outlet of the water pump side.

The combination pump also has an oil pump side having an inlet and outlet with an oil pump chamber connected between the inlet and outlet. A pump element is positioned within the oil pump chamber of the oil pump side and pumps fluid through the oil pump chamber between the inlet and outlet. An eccentric shaft partially surrounds the rotor of the water pump side at one end and connects to the pump element at a second end. A stator of the combination pump has at least one isolated coupler magnet that surrounds a portion of the rotor of the water pump side and a portion of the eccentric shaft. The stator selectively generates a magnetic field that causes rotation of both the eccentric shaft of the oil pump and the rotor of the water pump.

Further areas of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating the preferred embodiment of the invention, are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description and the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective of the pump of the teachings herein;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional of the combination pump in accordance with one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional, view of a top half of one embodiment of a pump of the teachings herein;

FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view of the bottom half of the pump of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 illustrates an exploded view of the pump taught herein;

FIG. 6 illustrates an exploded view of another embodiment of the pump taught herein;

FIG. 7 illustrates table 1 and table 2 providing pumping efficiency;

FIG. 8 illustrates flow rates of the pumps at specific heads and revolutions per minute of each pump; and

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional side view of an alternate embodiment of the combination pump having a single controller that independently controls the water pump side and the oil pump side.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The following description of the preferred embodiment(s) is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention, its application, or uses.

The combination pump of the teachings herein includes a water pump side and an oil pump side. The oil pump side and the water pump side of the teachings herein are driven by a common motor. Generally, the water pump side includes a rotor and a stator. The rotor and the stator are separated by a isolation jacket. The rotor includes a shaft that is stationary and the rotor rotates around the shaft via one or more bearings so that the impeller is rotated and a fluid is moved. Additional aspects of the water pump side pump can be gleaned from the teachings herein, including those of paragraphs 0013 through 0032 and FIGS. 1 through 6 of Provisional application Ser. No. 61/672,044, filed on. Jul. 16, 2012 showing various components of the water pump and the interrelationship of the components of the water pump.

The oil pump side includes a shaft extending through the oil pump side. The shaft may be a straight shaft. Preferably, the shaft is an eccentric shaft that rotates around an axis of rotation and drives a rotary pump.

The rotor on the oil pump side and the rotor on the water pump side may rotate in opposing directions. Preferably the rotor on the oil pump side and the rotor on the water pump side rotate in the same direction so that fluids are pumped.

FIG. 1 illustrates a combination pump 2 having a unitary pump housing 4. The pump includes a water pump side 10 and an oil pump side 100.

Referring now to all the Figures generally and with particular reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. The combination pump 2 on the water pump side 10 includes a volute 12 having an inlet 14 and an outlet 16. The volute 12 connect to the unitary pump housing, which contains a motor 20 that drives the water pump side 10 and oil pump side 100. The water pump side 10 further includes a pump chamber 21 defined by a space between the volute 12 and a wet sleeve or isolation jacket 32 connected across the unitary housing 4. The pump chamber 21 connects between the inlet 14 and outlet 16 of the water pump side 10. Within the pump chamber 21 is having a pump element 22 connected to a rotor 24 that rotates about a stationary shaft 28. The pump element 22 can be any suitable pump element, such as an impeller, vane pump, hydraulic pistons or any other suitable pump element used for pumping fluid, such as water or coolant, through the pump chamber 21. In the present embodiments of the invention shown in FIGS. 1-8 the pump element 22 is an impeller.

The combination pump 2 on the oil pump side 100 contained with the unitary pump housing 4. The oil pump side 100 includes an oil pump chamber 101 with the unitary pump housing 4 connected between an inlet 102 and outlet 103. A pump element 110 is rotates within the pump chamber 101 and pump oil between the inlet 102 and outlet 103 of the oil pump side 100. The pump element 110 can be any type of suitable oil pump element, such as but not limited to a vane pump, gerotor, hydraulic piston cylinder or any other suitable pump element. In the present embodiment of the invention shown in the Figures, the pump element 110 is a gerotor pump having an inner rotor 112, which is star shaped and having vanes 114. The inner rotor 112 is positioned within an outer rotor 116 and rotates within outer rotor 116 to pump oil through the pump chamber 101 between the inlet 102 and outlet 103.

Located within the unitary pump housing 4, on the oil pump side 100 the motor 20 includes a stator 26 with at least one electromagnetic coil 30 that partially circumscribe a portion of the isolation jacket 32 and partially circumscribe a portion of the rotor 24 of the water pump side 10. The rotor 24 is partially circumscribed by the stator 26 and separated from the stator 26 by the isolation jacket 32. The isolation jacket 32 prevents fluid from contacting the stator 26. The stator 26 and electromagnetic coil 30 also partially circumscribe the open cylinder 133 of an eccentric shaft 130 that is connected at one end to the inner rotor 112 on the oil pump side 100. The open cylinder 133 has motor magnets 36 connected to the outside surface of the open cylinder 133, adjacent the electromagnetic coil 30. When the electromagnetic coil 30 is energized, the magnetic field created acts on the motor magnets 36, which causes the eccentric shaft 130 to rotate. The rotation of the eccentric shaft 130 also rotates the inner rotor 112 of the pump element 110 of the oil pump side 100.

On an interior surface 135 of the open cylinder 133 is at least one eccentric shaft coupler magnet 34 that is in magnetic with at least one rotor coupler magnet 33 connected to the outside surface of the rotor 24 of the water pump side 10. The isolation jacket 32 separates the eccentric shaft coupler magnet 34 and the rotor coupler magnet 33; however, the eccentric shaft coupler magnet 34 and the rotor coupler magnet 33 are still attracted to each other through the isolation jacket 32.

The operation of the combination pump 2 in accordance with the present invention will now be described. When the at least one magnetic coil 30 of the stator 26 is energized a magnetic filed is generated between the motor magnets 36 and the magnetic coil 30, which causes the eccentric shaft 130 to rotate. This in turn causes the pump element 110 to pump oil through the oil pump side 100. Rotation of the eccentric shaft 130 causes the eccentric shaft coupler magnet 34 to rotate, which acts one the rotor coupler magnet 33 to cause the rotor 24 on the water pump side 10 to rotate and pump water or coolant fluid through the water pump side 10 due to the permanent attraction between the eccentric shaft coupler magnet 34 and the rotor coupler magnet 33.

The above described operation of the combination pump 2 is controlled by a single controller 120, contained within the unitary pump housing 4, on the oil pump side 100. The controller 120 is a circuit board having programmable logic capable of controlling the electrical voltage and current applied to the motor 20. The controller 120 is protected from water from the water pump side 10 by the isolation jacket 32. The controller 120 is also protected from oil in the oil pump chamber 101 by a bearing 122 and dynamic seal 124 arrangement connected to the eccentric shaft. The single controller 120 acts as a controller that controls the flow of both the water pump side 10 and the oil pump side 100.

FIG. 4 illustrates a close-up view of the oil pump side 100 of FIG. 2. The rotary pump 110 is shown having a rotor 112 and vanes 114 inside a pump chamber 101. The inlet 102 and the outlet 103 of the oil pump side 100 are shown.

FIG. 5 illustrates an exploded view of possible components of the oil pump side 100. The pump includes the bearing 122 and dynamic seal 124 located above a rotary pump 110, which in the present embodiment is a gerotor pump. The rotary pump 110 includes an inner rotor 112 having vanes 114. The inner rotor 112 is located within an outer rotor 116. The outer rotor 116 and the inner rotor 112 are located within the pump chamber 101 so that oil (not shown) is moved. A controller 120 controls operation of the combination pump 2.

FIG. 6 illustrates an exploded view of the both the water pump side 10 and the oil pump side 100. As illustrated the eccentric motor shaft 130 is shown extending through the rotary pump 110 the motor magnet 122 and the dynamic fill 124.

FIG. 7 illustrates Table 1 comparing the engine speed of the pump to the discharge flow rate of the pump, Table 1 further compares discharge flow as the constant pressure of the pump varies. Table 2 compares engine speed to mechanical efficiency of the motor. Table 2 compares efficiencies as the constant pressure of the pump varies. FIG. 8 illustrates flow rates as the head of the pump is varied at different engine speeds.

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional side view of an alternate embodiment of a combination pump 200 having a single controller 604 that independently controls the water pump side 300 and the oil pump side 400. The combination pump 200 is shown having a water pump side 300 and oil pump side 400 within a unitary pump housing 302, which have components similar or nearly identical to the components shown and described in FIGS. 1-8. The main difference with the present embodiment of the invention compared to the embodiment shown is FIGS. 1-8 is that the unitary pump housing 302 on the oil pump side 400 has a first stator 500 and second stator 600 both controlled by a single electronic controller 604 located with the unitary pump housing 302.

On the oil pump side 400 an eccentric shaft 402 does not overlap an isolation jacket 311 of the water pump side 300. The first stator 500 has at least one magnetic coil 502 that circumscribes a cylinder portion 404 of the eccentric shaft 402. One end of the eccentric shaft 402 is connected to an oil pump element 406. The cylinder portion 404 has at least one motor magnet 407 connected to the exterior surface of the cylinder portion 404. It is also within the scope of this invention for the cylinder portion 404 to be formed of magnetic material by a process such as sintering, which will eliminate the need to connect a separate motor magnet to the surface of the cylinder portion 404. When the first stator 500 and magnetic coil 502 are energized a magnetic field is induced which causes the eccentric shaft 402 to rotate and pump oil in through the oil pump side 400 by rotating the oil pump element 406 in a manner similar to the oil pump side 100 described in FIGS. 1-8 above.

On the water pump side the 300 a rotor 312 connected to the pump element 314, contained in the isolation jacket 311 has at least one rotor magnet 316 on the outside surface of the rotor 312. The second stator 600 has at least one magnetic coil 602 is located in the oil pump side 400 and circumscribes a portion of the isolation jacket 311, the rotor magnet 316 and a portion of the rotor 312. When the second stator 600 is energized a magnetic field is induced by the magnetic coil 602, which causes the rotor 312 to rotate the pump element 314 and pump water or coolant through the water pump side 300 in a manner similar to the operation of the water pump side 10 described in FIGS. 1-8 above.

The operation of the combination pump 200 is controlled by the single controller 604 contained in the oil pump side 400 within the unitary pump housing 302. The single controller 604 independently controls the operation of the first stator 500 and second stator 600 to allow for the water pump side 300 and oil pump side 400 flow to be contained within a unitary pump housing and controlled by a single controller 604.

The description of the invention is merely exemplary in nature and, thus, variations that do not depart from the gist of the invention are intended to be within the scope of the invention. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A combination pump comprising: a water pump side having an inlet and an outlet; a water pump chamber of the water pump side connected between the inlet and outlet of the water pump side; a pump element within the water pump chamber of the water pump side for pumping fluid through the water pump chamber between the inlet and the outlet of the water pump side; a rotor connected to the pumping element on the water pump side; an oil pump side having an inlet and an outlet of the oil pump side; an oil pump chamber on the oil pump side connected between the inlet and outlet of the oil pump side; a pump element within the oil pump chamber of the oil pump side for pumping fluid through the oil pump chamber between the inlet and the outlet; an eccentric shaft that partially surrounds the rotor of the water pump side and connects to the pump element of the oil pump side; and a stator having at least magnetic coil that surrounds a portion of the rotor of the water pump side and a portion of the eccentric shaft, wherein the stator selectively generates a magnetic field that causes rotation of the eccentric shaft of the oil pump, wherein the rotation is transferred to the rotor of the water pump.
 2. The combination pump of claim 1 further comprising an isolation jacket separating the water pump side from the oil pump side.
 3. The combination pump of claim 1 further comprising an electronic controller within the oil pump side for controlling the operation of the stator and the rotation of the rotor of the water pump and the eccentric shaft of the oil pump.
 4. The combination pump of claim 1 wherein the pumping element on the water pump side is an impeller connected to the rotor of the water pump side and the rotor on the water pump side rotates about a stationary shaft.
 5. The combination pump of claim 1 wherein the pump element of the oil pump side is a gerotor having an outer rotor and an inner rotor that rotates within the outer rotor and said inner rotor is connected to and driven by the eccentric shaft.
 6. A combination pump comprising: a unitary pump housing; a water pump side within the unitary pump housing having an inlet and an outlet of the water pump side formed in the unitary pump housing; a water pump chamber of the water pump connected between the inlet and the outlet of the water pump side; a pump element within the pump chamber of the water pump side for pumping fluid through the pump chamber between the inlet and the outlet of the water pump side; a rotor connected to the pumping element of the water pump side; an oil pump side within the unitary pump housing having an inlet and an outlet of the oil pump side; an oil pump chamber of the oil pump side connected between the inlet and the outlet of the oil pump side; a pump element within the oil pump chamber of the oil pump side for pumping fluid through the oil pump chamber between the inlet and the outlet formed in the unitary pump housing; an eccentric shaft connected to the pump element of the oil pump side; at first stator contained in the unitary pump housing having at least one magnetic coil surrounding a portion of the rotor of the water pump side, wherein the first stator selective generates a magnetic field that drives the rotation of the rotor of the water pump; and a second stator having at least one magnetic coil surrounding a portion of the eccentric shaft of the oil pump side wherein the second stator selectively generates a magnetic field that drives the rotation of the eccentric shaft and the pumping of oil through the oil pump side.
 7. The combination pump of claim 6 further comprising an isolation jacket extending across the unitary pump housing for separating the pump chamber from the oil pump side.
 8. The combination pump of claim 7 wherein the first stator and second stator are located in the oil pump side.
 9. The combination pump of claim 6 further comprising a single controller contained within the unitary pump housing and connected to both the first stator and second stator for selectively controlling the generation of the magnetic field of the first stator and the magnetic field of the second stator independently of each other.
 10. The combination pump of claim 9 wherein the first stator, the second stator and the single controller are located in the oil pump side.
 11. The combination pump controller of claim 6 wherein the pumping element of the water pump side is an impeller connected to the rotor and the rotor is rotatably positioned on a stationary shaft.
 12. The combination pump controller of claim 6 wherein the pump element of the oil pump side is a gerotor having an inner rotor connected to the eccentric shaft rotatably positioned within an outer rotor.
 13. A combination pump comprising: a unitary pump housing; a water pump side within the unitary pump housing having an inlet and an outlet formed in the unitary pump housing; a water pump chamber of the water pump side connected between the inlet and the outlet of the water pump side; an impeller within the water pump chamber of the water pump side for pumping fluid through the water pump chamber between the inlet and the outlet; a rotor connected to the impeller of the water pump side, wherein the rotor is rotatably mounted to a stationary shaft; an oil pump side within the unitary pump housing having an inlet and an outlet formed in the unitary pump housing; a oil pump chamber of the oil pump side connected between the inlet and the outlet of the oil pump side; a gerotor within the oil pump chamber of the oil pump side for pumping fluid through the oil pump chamber between the inlet and the outlet formed in the unitary pump housing; an eccentric shaft that partially surrounds the water pump chamber of the water pump side and connects to the gerotor of the oil pump side; and a single stator having at least one magnetic coil that surrounds a portion of the rotor of the water pump side and a portion of the eccentric shaft, wherein the stator selectively generates a magnetic field that drives both the eccentric shaft and the rotor of the water pump side.
 14. The controller of claim 13 further comprising a single controller within the unitary pump housing of the oil pump side for controlling the operation of the stator.
 15. The combination pump of claim 14 wherein the stator and the single controller are located in the oil pump side.
 16. The combination pump of claim 15 further comprising an isolation jacket extending across the unitary pump housing for separating the pump chamber of the water pump side from the oil pump side, wherein the stator partially surrounds a portion of the isolation jacket where a portion of the rotor of the water pump side is located.
 17. The combination pump of claim 13 wherein the gerotor further includes an outer rotor and an inner rotor rotatably positioned within the outer rotor, wherein the eccentric shaft is connected to and rotates the inner rotor.
 18. The combination pump of claim 13, further comprising an isolation jacket extending across the unitary pump housing for separating the pump chamber of the water pump side from the oil pump side.
 19. The combination pump of claim 18 further comprising a volute forming part of the pump chamber of the water pump side.
 20. The combination pump of claim 13 further comprising a volute forming part of the pump chamber of the water pump side. 